SPECIAL FEATURE: ‘Some of our services will stop running entirely’

Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill admits the level of cuts the authority is being asked to make is ‘not sustainable’.

He says: “Following the General Election the majority of the public have voted for the Government to continue re-balancing the nation’s finances.

“I fully support this and it will mean that the public sector including local government will have to tighten their belts even further.

“However, it is clear that local government is being expected to take too much of that burden.

“Unlike health, police and defence, our budgets have not been protected.

“In Lincolnshire, we have successfully found £130 million of savings over the last four years and mainly managed to protect frontline services.

“However, we are now being asked to find another £170 million in the next four years with our government grant reducing to 10 per cent of what it was only a short time ago. Frankly this is not sustainable.

“We also face considerable extra costs through inflation, increase in demand for services, and the increase in the national living wage, and there will be a serious impact on the services we fund and deliver.

“No area is immune from this and some of our services will stop running entirely.

“Irrespective of which party is in charge at Westminster, we will fight for a fair deal for our county and in public we have been critical of this unfair situation we find ourselves in.

“At this very difficult time, I would appeal to all local politicians to set aside party differences and fight the cause for Lincolnshire.”